Container



J. M. HARRISON CONTAINER ,/-ZZ Z0 Nov. 10, 1964 Filed Feb. 26, 1962 Nov. 10, 1964 J. M. HARRISON CONTAINER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 26, 1962 INVENTOR. L//f/e www/g,

United States Patent YO 3,156,371 CONTAINER .lames M. Harrison, Fort Worth, Tex., assigner to Crown Machine 8: Tool Company, Fort Worth, Tex., a corporation of Texas Filed Feb. 26, 1962, Ser. No. 175,601 11 Claims. (Cl. 2206) This invention relates to a rigid lightweight foamed plastic container and to a method of making the same.

A primary purpose of the invention is a container of the type described which can be shipped in the form of a blank and can be easily and quickly assembled.

Another purpose is a foamed plastic container in which the inside has the size and shape of the article or articles to be shipped within the container.

Another purpose is a foamed plastic container which is waterproof.

Another purpose is a container blank of the type described in which the outside of the container rnay be reinforced with a mesh or ilm.

Another purpose is a method of simply and quickly forming the sections of a container blank, with the hinges between adjacent walls being formed simultaneously with the walls.

Other purposes will appear in the ensuing specification, drawings and claims.

The invention is illustrated diagrammatically in the following drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side View of an assembled container,

FIGURE 2 is an end view of the container of FIG- URE 1,

FIGURE 3 is a top View of the container with the cover removed,

FIGURE 4 is a plan view of the cover used in the container of FIGURES 1, 2 and 3,

FIGURE 5 is a top plan view of a blank used to form the container shown in FIGURES 1-4,

FIGURE 6 is a diagrammatic illustration of a method for forming a container blank, and

FIGURE 7 is a top plan view, similar to FIGURE 5, showing a modified form of container blank.

The container illustrated in FIGURES 1-5 may include a bottom 10, end walls` 12 and side walls 14. A top 16 may be used to complete the container and may or may not be an integral part of the container blank.

The bottom 10 may have a lower outwardly extending peripheral ange 18. The walls 12 and 14 may have outer anges and 22, respectively, which extend around three sides. The walls v12 and 14 may have also inner upwardly extending flanges 24 and 26, respectively, which are used in holding the cover 16 in position.

FIGURE 4 illustrates the cover 16 and it may have a continuous inner groove 2S, spaced from the outside of the cover a distance generally equal to the thickness of the peripheral iianges 20 and 22. When the container is assembled, the anges 24 and 26 iit into the groove 28 and will securely interlock the cover or top to the main or body portion of the container. Any suitable tape or bailing means may be used to seal the top to the assembled container after it is illed.

Of particular advantage in my invention is the fact that the container may be formed in a blank and shipped in this manner, thus providing a substantial saving in shipping expense. Each of the end walls 12 and the side walls 14 are hinged to the bottom 10. The hinge may take the form of a mesh or film or sheet, for example a paper mesh 30 is Shown in FIGURE 5. The mesh 30 may completely cover the bottom 10 as well as the outside of the end walls and side walls. In this way the mesh reinforces and protects the outer surface ot the container. Other forms of hinge may also be satisfac- 3,156,371 Patented Nov. 10, 1964 tory. What is important in the hinge is that it properly spaces each of the walls 12 and 14 from the bottom 10 so that when the container is folded into position, as in FIGURES 1-3, the walls properly interlock with the bottom and are'held together. The space 32 between the lower edge of each of the end and side walls and the outer edge of the bottom 10 should be such that when the container is folded up and assembled, the hinge is tight or in tension and the edges of the Walls and bottom are rmly in contact.

When the container is assembled, the bottom edge 34 of the end walls and side walls sits on top of the bottom liange 18. Also, the lower edge 36 of each of the end and side Walls sits upon the main portion of the bottom 10. This construction is clearly illustrated in FIGURES l and 2. In a like manner the iianges 20 and 22 of the end and side walls interlock forming the sides of the container. This is shown in FIGURE 3.

I may use a foamed plastic to form the walls, bottom and top of my container. Such plastics generally come in the form of raw beads which are finely divided plastic granules impregnated with a suitable foaming agent or blowing agent or gas. For example, the beads might be polystyrene which could be impregnated with methylchloride, butane, heptane or the like. When the beads are heated to a certain temperature, for example 230 to 240 F., the gases will cause the individual beads to expand and the beads can be blown up to many times their original size. Initially, the raw beads are quite small and may be only a few thousandths of an inch in diameter. It is conventional to apply an intermediate temperature to the beads, something less than their maximum foaming temperature so that the beads will be partially expanded. This is known as pretoaming and the beads are brought up to something on the order of .050 of an inch in diameter. Then they are supplied to the molding cavity and the maximum foaming temperature is applied causing the beads to further expand to completely fill the cavity and to fuse with one another and form an integral completely .homogeneous article.

FIGURE 6 illustrates diagrammatically one method of forming a container blank such as shown in FIGURE 5 from beads as described above. A lower die 38 which is generally open may have a suitable mesh or the like 40 placed within it. An upper die 42 having a plurality of inserts 44 will be positioned above the lower die. When the two dies are brought together the mold cavity will have a plurality of cavity sections, one for each section of the container. Beads as described above will then be introduced into the cavity and it will be heated. As the beads foam they will take on the shape of the individual cavity Asections and they will adhere `to and intertwine with the mesh 40. In this way the mesh actually becomes a part of the sections used in forming the container blank. As the two dies are brought together to form the cavity, the Ineslrmay be cut to its nal or iinished shape.

Of particular advantage in the method illustrated diagrammatically in FIGURE 6 is that the inside surface of the side walls, bottom walls, and the top wall may be formed precisely to t the sizeand shape of the article or articles to be held in the container. For example, if electron tubes or other electr-onic components are to be shipped in these containers, .the inside surface may be formed to precisely it these articles. Such an arrangement is not possible when the container is formed in a three-dimensional mold. It is very diilicult to have undercuts or other unusual configurations in a three-dimensional mold. The inserts 44 may have irregular surfaces 44a and may be removable so that a single pair of dies may be used to mold containers which can ship thousands of different parts. Only the inserts 44 need be changed to provide different shapes for the walls, bottom and top to hold different parts.

FIGURE 7 illustrates a `further form of container blank in which the top is molded with the other parts of the container. A bot-tom 4e, end walls 4S, side walls 50 and a top 52 may all be formed of foamed plastic beads in the manner described above. Instead of having a paper mesh or the like which substantially covers the outside of all the walls, bottom and top, I may use strips 54 which may be a tape, film or mesh. I may use one or more strips 54 depending upon the size of the container to be formed. In any event, the strips may be embedded in the outer surface of the sections forming the container blank in the manner described above. In this connection, it is not necessary to always position the strips or mesh on the outside of the container. They may be positioned on the inside or in the middle, depending upon the formation of the dies and mold cavity.

A further modiication shown in FIGURE 7 is a sheet 56, illustrated in dotted lines, which covers the entire blank, minus the top, but is not cut away at the corners as is the blank. The sheet 56 may be formed of polyethylene or some other suitable waterproof material. When the container is assembled and the sides are folded up along the bottom, there will be folds of the waterproof material which will extend into the interior of the container. These folds may be placed against the side and held there by a suitable adhesive. In this way, a completely waterproof container will be formed.

The use, operation and function of the invention are as follows:

I may form a container blank out of individual foamed plastic sections, for example polystyrene, which are hinged together. The hinge not only holds all of the container sections or Walls together so that the blank may be shipped, but it also properly spaces each of the side and end walls from the bottom so that when the container is `folded up to its finished form, all of the sections will be firmly held together and the container will be rigid. In one form of container the hinge completely covers the outer surface of the walls and bottom, and additionally the top if desired. A paper mesh or the like may be molded with the sections forming the container and is embedded in the walls and bottom. The mesh therefore forms a reinforcement for the container. It is not necessary to place the mesh or other lm or sheet forming the hinge on the outside, as it is also satisfactory to have it on the inside, or at some position intermediate the outside and inside walls.

In a second form the hinge may be one or more strips, with the strips extending completely across two walls and the bottom so that each strip is used in forming two separate hinges. In some applications the strips need not extend completely across the side walls, but only a sufficient distance to firmly adhere to the plastic. In still other applications separate strips may be used for each hinge, with the strips extending only a sucient distance to provide a strong hinge. The width of the strips will depend upon the size of the container and the number of strips being used. In some applications a pair of strips, as wide as the side walls, may be used to thus form an outer surface much like that illustrated in FIGURE 5, but of separate pieces of material. It is advantageous in some applications to integrally form the cap or cover with the other sections used in the container blank so that the entire unit may be shipped together.

Of particular advantage in the method of forming the container blank is the fact that the .inside surface of each of the sides, bottom and top may be formed to precisely tthe size and shape of the article to be carried in the container. It is only the upper die that forms the inside of the container and the upper die may utilize a number of inserts which are removable. In this way a single container may be used to ship thousand-s of different parts and it is only necessary to change the inserts 44 in order to vary the inside shape of the container.

Gne suitable material for forming the hinge is a paper mesh, however, the invention should not be limited to this particular material as the tape-like material used in forming the hinge could be a plastic, for example polyethylene, or it might be nylon, Tellen or polypropylene. In addition to embedding the material used in forming the hinge into the plastic sections, it may be necessary to use a heat sensitive adhesive for Ibetter adherence.

Whereas the preferred form of the invention has been shown and described herein, it should be realized that there are many modifications, substitutions and alterations thereto within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A blank for forming a rigid container including a plurality of separate foamed plastic sections, lying generally in the same plane, for forming the walls and bottom of the container,

each `of said Walls being positioned opposite and generally aligned with an edge of said bottom,

a thin paper-like flexible hinge embedded into and connecting each of said walls with an edge of said bottom and spacing said walls from the bottom such that when the walls are folded up to a generally upright position relative to the bottom, each hinge will be in tension and each wall will be firmly in contact with the bottom,

and a top for said container.

2. The structure of claim l further characterized in that each of said hinges is formed from a thin cxible sheet embedded `into the outside of said walls and bottorn.

3. The structure of claim 1 further characterized in that each of said hinges is formed from a paper mesh extending over substantially the entire area of said bottom and each of said walls.

4. The structure of claim l further characterized in that each of said hinges is formed from a single paper mesh sheet, embedded in each of the walls and the bottom.

5. The structure of claim 1 further characterized in that each of said hinges is formed from a thin flexible material, with the hinge between one wall and the bottoni being integral with at least one other hinge between a wall and the bottom.

6. The structure of claim l further characterized in that said top is hinged to one of said walls.

7. A blank for forming a rigid container including a plurality of separate foamed plastic sections, lying generally in the same plane, for forming the side walls and bottom of the container,

each of said side walls being positioned opposite and generally in alignment with an edge of said bottom,

a thin paper mesh sheet embedded in each of said side walls and the bottom and forming the hinged connection between each side wall and the bottom, each side wall being spaced from an edge of the bottom such that when the walls are folded up to form the container, each hinge will be in tension and each side wall will firmly contact the bottom,

and a foamed plastic top for said container.

8. The structure of claim 7 further characterized in that said paper mesh is embedded in the outside of said side walls and bottom.

9. The structure of claim 7 further characterized in that the hinges for each side wall are integral with each other and are formed of a single paper mesh sheet substantially covering the bottom and the side walls.

10. A blank for forming a rigid container including a plurality of separate foamed plastic sections, lying generally in the same plane, for forming the side walls and bottom of the container,

each of said side walls being positioned opposite and generally in alignment with an edge of said bottom,

a thin paper-like flexible hinge embedded into and connecting each side wall with an edge of said bottom,

5 a thin paper-like flexible hinge embedded into and connecting each side Wall with an edge of said bottom and spacing said side Walls from the bottom such that when the Walls are folded up to form the container, each hinge will be in tension and each side wall will rmly contact the bottom, and a sheet of a Waterproof material covering the inside of said bottom and side walls, said sheet being continuous and extending outside the outline of said side Walls and bottom such that when the container is formed it will have portions which are folded inside the container, and a top for said container. 11. A blank for forming a rigid container including a plurality of separate foamed plastic sections lying generally in the same plane, for forming the walls and bottom of the container,

each of said Walls being positioned opposite and generally aligned with an edge of said bottom,

the inside surface of at least one or" said Walls and nottom being formed to the same size and shape as the article to be placed in the container,

a tape-like hinge connecting each of said Walls with an edge of said bottom and spacing said Walls from the bottom such that when the walls are folded up to a generally upright position relative to the bottoni, each hinge will be in tension and each Wall will be firmly in Contact with the bottom,

and a top for said container.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNTED STATES PATENTS 2,197,152 Mason Apr. 16, 1940 2,233,207 Gillam Feb. 25, 1941 2,320,166 Arnold May 25, 1943 2,975,488 Brauner Mar. 21, 1961 3,000,058 Thielen Sept. 19, 1961 3,024,939 Kantor Mar. 13, 1962 

1. A BLANK FOR FORMING A RIGID CONTAINER INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF SEPARATE FOAMED PLASTIC SECTIONS, LYING GENERALLY IN THE SAME PLANE, FOR FORMING THE WALLS AND BOTTOM OF THE CONTAINER, EACH OF SAID WALLS BEING POSITIONED OPPOSITE AND GENERALLY ALIGNED WITH AN EDGE OF SAID BOTTOM, A THIN PAPER-LIKE FLEXIBLE HINGE EMBEDDED INTO AND CONNECTING EACH OF SAID WALLS WITH AN EDGE OF SAID BOTTOM AND SPACING SAID WALLS FROM THE BOTTOM SUCH THAT 